This invention relates to cleaning apparatus and, in particular, to cleaning or grooming apparatus for pets.
Such pressure sensitive adhesive tapes are used for picking up undesired particles from fabric, floor and other surfaces. More specifically, the pressure sensitive adhesive tape roll is provided with an adhesive formulated in such a way to efficiently pick up and hold foreign particles over which it is rolled and then optionally cleaned either by rinsing the particles away from the adhesive or peeling the soiled outermost layer away using one of the peeling systems in the art.
Some devices of the prior art illustrate the use of tape rolls which utilize specific perforation, slit, and non-adhesive edge patterns to promote easy sheet removal. Some of the tape utilizes creped paper, flat back paper, or silicone treated paper, which when becoming wet deteriorates. Other lint removers use embossed film with adhesive coating to build the roll's diameter.
Other devices known in the art utilize a rubber like sticky washable coating that is extruded onto a core and then placed onto a lint roller assembly. While this provides for cleaning the sticky roll with water it does not provide the peeling option. Even with a dry edge or pop-up tab, the tight wound nature of the lint roll and the potentially long time over which a single roll is used can cause even the dry edges to stick to the underlying sheet.
As with any roll of tape, locating the end of the tape can be a time consuming task in addition to the difficulty in prying an edge of the end away from the remainder of the tape roll.
Lint rollers typically have a lint roll rotatably mounted on a body from which a handle extends. The lint roll is rolled across a surface to be cleaned. Centrifugal force resulting from the speed at which the user moves the roller across the surface frequently causes the roll to continue to rotate even when after separation from a surface. As the distance the user moves the roll across a surface can vary from application to application and due to centrifugal force, the free end of the tape roll continually changes position about the circumference of the roll with respect to the underlying body and handle. This makes it difficult to locate the ever-changing location of the free end in order to remove the soiled outermost sheet from the roll.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a lint roller apparatus which has an edge orienting capability in which the free end of the tape roll is always oriented in the same location with respect to the handle and roller body or swivel. It would also be desirable to provide a lint roller apparatus in which the free end of the lint roll can be oriented to an established, constant position by the user after a cleaning operation. It would also be desirable to provide a lint roller apparatus which has an automatic rotation means for automatically rotating the cleaning element with respect to the handle. It would also be desirable to provide a lint roller apparatus which includes a means for prying the free edge of the outermost sheet of the tape roll from the underlying sheet during rotation of the roll.